a16z Joint Venture: D.O.G.E. plans to push federal employees back to the office

On January 16, co-founder of a16z, Marc Andreessen, stated in a Hoover Institution podcast that the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) is prioritizing the return of federal employees to in-person work. He noted that federal office buildings in Washington D.C. are currently only occupied at an average of 25%, with many employees only working in the office for one to two days per month, and some employees only coming in for two days every two months.

Andreessen mentioned that D.O.G.E.'s focus includes optimizing personnel, reducing government spending, and streamlining regulations, and he stated that the team has "very smart ideas" in these areas. He also questioned whether the president has the authority to require federal employees to return to the office and expressed concern that the prevalence of remote work is challenging work efficiency.